Just a Coincidence
by Tune4Toons
Summary: It was all just an accident. No, maybe it was all just a coincidence. — Hinted Pikacario


**Author's Notes: So this is version two (technically three if you saw the version before this one) of the very first one shot I've ever written. So if you've read the original before, then kudos to you! This version is completely different from that one.**

**Just to disclaim, I own nothing but my hat, which I tip to thee.**

**This one is a bit more lighthearted than the first, but still retains that atmophere in a way all at the same time. Here it is. Enjoy…**

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><p>~+~<span>Just a Coincidence<span>~+~

_The world merely disappeared around the blue jackal._

_Darkness enveloped his body whole. The comforting silence only stroked his mind in soft, chilling touches. His senses soon closed off and the abyss lifted him away to float into space._

_The void remained empty._

_Much time had passed in this crepuscule, and still no change; even the constant tick of a clock felt foreign to him. His true purpose soon became uncertain. Home…never felt like home. If only he could get as far away as possible, then would life would feel satisfied. But this place was the closest he could get. Solitude was his paradise, escape his salvation, darkness his only companion._

_Or at least, it used to be._

_A hazy image of a yellow mouse materialized in front of him. Pikachu… Her name echoed in his thoughts. She smiled at him, and crawled through the umbra towards his lifeless body. There, she stood in front of him face to face. Her beady eyes bore into his own, breaking his composure. Time grew still, his ease ever so shaky. Her face buried itself into his furry chest, soft to the touch._

_The jackal felt his arms naturally wrap themselves around her, but was stopped. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe. His back burned him with sharp, seething pain and his eyes welled up in surprise._

_Then he blinked, and Pikachu was gone, as if spirited away like a mere memory. His disrupted aura flow continued sending abnormal waves throughout his body, leaving his limbs numb in frozen heat._

_A tear streamed down his face. No, that couldn't be right. Nothing had ever happened to them, so why? The aching memento soon faded into a faint reminiscence, and surroundings remained an empty ataraxia. Wait, what memory was there to begin with? He couldn't remember. Now focused, his thoughts realigned._

_He had to leave; there was just no other way._

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><p>Lucario slowly opened his eyes, a single tear falling down his face. The sunlight pierced through the jackal's eyelids as he squinted. With a variety of colours spinning around, he tried to focus and reform the images in front of him. He placed a paw to his cheek, wiping off his damp fur.<p>

_Again_, he thought. It wasn't the first time; the illusions just kept returning to his dreams.

Meditation no longer an option, he stood up from where he sat, feeling the rough green roof tiles from under his feet.

Leaving... Was today truly the best day? He walked toward the edge of the roof and glanced down at the world below. Five stories up above on a white marble manor, the blue Pokémon decided to watch his fellow warriors, the Smashers.

It appeared that many were enjoying themselves. Ike, and the alien astronaut beside him, seemed content with just sleeping under the shade of the tree in the backyard near a bed of colourful Pikmin. One Hylian teen and similar chibi child, both warriors clad in green, competing with a toga-wearing angel for the best archery aim at target practice.

And then there was the couple who sat in the garden, drinking tea at the white round tables. Both of royalty, a brunette princess and a blue prince engaged themselves with a conversation. Lucario became intrigued, mentally noting how Zelda and Marth were always seen together. Marth whispered something into the Zelda's ear, nearly causing her to spit her drink out, her eyes widening with each minute. After a moment of silence, they both burst into a laughing fit.

A subtle grin formed on the Lucario's face. How did those two always managed to get along with ease? They always enjoyed the other's company. Perhaps they possessed some form of secret to this phenomenon? Whatever that may be, it clearly worked for him.

After all, it was thanks to them that he had a companion of his own.

But, was it worth it? That question continued to haunt him.

He jumped off of the roof of the mansion, landing on the ground with no faux pas, in perfect finesse. He walked back into the building, avoiding all possible eye contact as he passed by.

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><p><em>Marth and Zelda dragged the blue canine through the pristine hallways. They passed by Nana and Popo relaxing under the PA system, whispering amongst themselves. Important. Immediately. That was all Lucario could remember being told. Soon, the three of them were standing in front of the the grand doorway to his office.<em>

_"You first," Marth nudged Lucario forward; a solemn expression painted the prince's face._

_Zelda just smiled. "Master Hand wanted to see us too after. Don't make us wait for too long."_

_The jackal merely sighed and pushed the door open._

_With one step in, he saw the hand's battered wooden desk. In fact, it was the only thing in the room, only there as an ornament of power, though chipped. The room was quite compact and a bright white, and of course was filled with the absence of Master Hand himself._

_Then he heard the door slammed shut._

_He spun around, seeing the door shut tight. He banged it hard, demanding for exit. Soft clinks were heard from the other side. He turned the door knob himself, but it just wouldn't turn open._

_Lucario's telepathic voice resounded as he yelled, "Marth? Zelda? What's wrong with the door?"_

_"I don't know; it just shut by itself," he heard the prince muffled voice call out._

_"We'll go find someone to open it, okay?" Zelda said. "Just stay put and we'll be right back."_

_The Pokémon pressed his back against the door, sighing with a breathe he didn't realize he was holding. "What in the world am I even needed for—?"_

_"It's not nice to ignore the people around you," a squeak interrupted him, causing his ears to twitch ever so slightly. He turned, spotting a small yellow mouse pouting as she crawled towards him, glaring with dagger eyes. "No wonder you took so long getting here. You hardly notice anything that goes on around this place."_

_"What do you mean by that?"_

_She scoffed. "How long did it take you to notice that I was standing in the room?" Lucario's body stiffened for a brief moment before relaxing again. "Exactly. For a loner who's supposed to be able to see auras, you don't pay attention much, do you?"_

_"A loner?" He nearly shifted his eyes to the floor, but tried to keep them up at her. "I just don't enjoy crowds…" The heavy air was slowly choking him. Then he realized something. "So what are you doing here? You still haven't explained—"_

_"Master Hand wanted to discuss tournaments, remember?" she chided. An awkward silence made the mouse start scratching her head. "You do remember, right?"_

_"Uh…" He glanced away, hoping to avoid her stare._

_Her ears shot straight up. "Lu! You can't be serious!"_

_"Lu?"_

_"Huh?" A few seconds allowed her to realize what happened; she flushed. "O-oh, sorry 'bout that. Uh, I-I won't call you t-that if you don't want me to."_

_Oh? he thought. Lucario chuckled, surprised by her unusual blushing and stuttering. She looked cute when she got embarrassed like— wait. Cute? Maybe the lack of space was getting to him; he could almost feel the walls compressing down on them._

_"It's okay. Lu is just fine. How about we just start over?" He held out his paw. "My name's Lucario. Nice to meet you."_

_Pikachu held his paw onto hers, blushing a deeper shade of red than before. "Nice to meet you too, Lu. I'm Pikachu," she said as she flashed out a cheeky smile._

_He gazed at her for a moment. Could he really trust this Pokémon? Why was she being nice to him? Maybe it was alright to play along for a little while. Lucario turned his snout away, hiding the faint smile that formed on his face._

_Suddenly, they heard the door slam open behind them. From the cloud of collecting dust, the shadow of a large fist stood steady. It floated into the room, words echoing in their heads._

_"Not you too!" the left hand's voice boomed. "Doesn't anybody rememba my brutha's next door?"_

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><p>He walked through the empty somber halls. Normally, no one would come to the dorms this time of day. Doors, the entire corridor were filled with them. He merely glanced at each of the numbered plates, knowing this was the last time he was ever going to see them.<p>

Finally he found his room, adorned with the familiar plaque number twenty one. He checked both directions around him before turning the old metal knob.

There was nobody around, perfect to his satisfaction.

Lucario pushed the door open softly, preventing even the slightest of creaks from sounding. The dark depths of the room were fairly empty. Immediately, he scoured the wooden drawers for his brown bindle.

There it was, in between a small microphone and a picture frame.

His paw reached out for the frame and he placed it on top of the drawer. He stared at the image of a mouse and a pink puffball scribbling faces on the jackal's sleeping face. Lucario walked back towards the hallway, passing three flat beds that were nailed against the walls.

Soon he closed the door behind him, never looking back at the memory he left to sit there, right next to the open windows.

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><p><em>"Jigglypuff, do you know where Lu is?"<em>

_"Lucario should be in our room. Why?"_

_"I have an idea. Follow me."_

_Pikachu crept low along the floor, dragging with her the stubby arms of a pink balloon Pokémon. Along the way, she whispered her plans to Jigglypuff, smirking the entire time._

_"But what if—?"_

_Pikachu hushed Jigglypuff. The two were now backed against the wall, next to door number twenty one. Through the open door, they spotted a dark figure in the corner, lying on a thin mattress._

_She looked at her pink companion. "Did you get the ca-meh-ra?"_

_Jigglypuff held up the boxy object she carried with her, equipped with lens in the front. "You mean the thing I stole from Snake? Are you sure this is a ca-meh-ra?" She flipped the item around, inspecting each of its buttons and holes. "I don't even know how to use it."_

_Pikachu pointed at the large button on the top. "The humans press that button and a picture magically appears on that glass thing." She gestured at the screen opposite to the lens. "Let's go."_

_Pikachu and Jigglypuff slipped into the room, as quietly as a mouse, and suppressed their giggles upon seeing an exhausted jackal sleeping on his bed._

_This was going to be fun._

_The pink puffball pulled out her microphone from the drawers and uncapped the ball on it. The marker stuck out tall and pointy, and then Jigglypuff made soft strokes on Lucario's snout._

_Pikachu climbed up to the top shelf on top of her bed and settled the camera in place. She pressed the button and a blinking dot started flashing._

_"It's almost gonna flash! Jiggly, hurry up!"_

_Her stubby pink hands drew faster with the command, and the mouse raced onto the other bed. Just before the blinking stopped, Pikachu leaped off of the floor and stomped Lucario's abdomen._

_He jumped up, awake with surprise, just in time for the camera to flash._

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><p>Lucario slowly made his way down the marble stairs. He kept checking every corner, making sure no one was around. Making his way through the thin corridor, thoughts started flooding his mind.<p>

Was leaving going to be worth the trouble? He wasn't sure if informing someone about it would be a good idea. What was he going to tell everyone, or better yet, _should _he tell anybody?

Immersed in his thoughts, Lucario never noticed a brown vulpine in a white coat, speed walking in his direction. Right when they both finally noticed the other, they crashed into each other. Their skulls bumped together so hard that one knocked down the other; both were very fortunate that Fox did not collide with Lucario's chest spike.

Fox stood up right away, quickly shaking his head. "Lucario? Oh, sorry 'bout that." The vulpine immediately hustled his tail out of there and sprinted his way towards the washroom door just behind Lucario.

The blue jackal picked himself up off the floor. What was he thinking? How could he not have noticed that Fox was around? Then again, Fox was fast; only Sonic was able to outmatch his speed.

As he dusted off the dirt in his fur, he spotted a hanging wooden sign at the end of the tight corridor. Just like the vulpine, he raced down the stretched darkening hallway and stopped just under the sign.

He pushed the door open and entered the dim room. He was greeted by the counter top at the end of the room. He walked up to it, and saw a cutting board and a knife sitting under the cabinets. He left them be as he reached up to the cupboards, looking for any food to bring.

"Ahem," a small voice squeaked from behind him. He turned around. The familiar lemon shade of a small mouse's fur gave him both relief and fear all at the same time. "I can't believe you're sneaking snacks, Lu. That's so unlike you."

"Pikachu, it's…hard to explain."

She stared at the bindle he carried. "So why the sack?" She only stuck her nose up to look him in the eye, giggling as she lost all seriousness. "Lu, how 'bout you come with me to watch today's matchup, okay?"

Lucario sighed. This was clearly going to be harder than he planned. "Look, I'm planning to leave this place. I'm…not coming back once I go."

The mouse only stared, smiling as if unfazed. "What are you talking about? You're trying to mess with me, aren't you? Come on, Jigglypuff's match is starting soon."

"I'm not going. I'm serious." He tried to avoid her gaze. "I'm leaving the mansion."

"Huh?" Her eyes became hollow, the news finally sinking in. "B-but why? It's so sudden… Wait, you're just trying to pull my tail, aren't you? You aren't really gonna go… R-right?"

He hung his head low, shaking with saddened expressions. He turned back around, and started pulling more cans from the cupboards, stuffing it together into his bindle.

Pikachu stood there in disbelief as the jackal continued filling his bag with edibles. Then her instincts clicked into full gear the moment he stopped, and she jumped up to bite down on the fabric.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Lucario felt the sudden tug from his pole.

"Keeping you from losing your mind," she growled as her teeth sank into the sack. "Don't do anything stupid, Lu."

They both continued the tug-of-war, neither wanting to lose to the other. Paws and teeth alike were becoming sore after a few minutes of constant pulling.

Lucario couldn't take any of these games anymore. "Pikachu, let go," he commanded, tugging harder than before on the fabric. He wanted to leave as soon as he could, and he knew having others know about it would slow him down. "I never wanted to be here! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Pikachu's heart sank upon hearing those words. She fought back to hold the tears forming on her face. She opened up her jaws, letting go of the bindle, and Lucario stumbled back in surprise onto the counter behind him, unprepared for her sudden release.

Yet instead of hitting the marble material, he felt something sharp pierce his back. A burning sensation soon overtook him. He felt a stream of warm liquid leak down his back onto the floor. His aura was leaving him and his eyes started to droop.

"L-Lu?" he barely heard Pikachu's voice shake with concern. The fresh smell of blood banged around her nose and down her throat.

Collapsing onto the tiled floor, he realized there was something sticking out of his back. It was the knife that was sitting on the cutting board, one that he had never truly noticed lying about.

His strength faded and his mind was succumbing to the darkness. The copper taste of blood built up in his mouth and choked him. He tried to retain his vision, but the last thing he saw was a fading yellow blob blurred by his weakening sights; even her screams were reduced to mere muffles.

"Lu? Oh my go— LU? Wake up! PLEASE! LU!"

Maybe knowing this mouse really was too much trouble after all.

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><p><strong>Tune4Toons: So what did you guys think? Too sudden? Too different from what you remember (if you remember)? I hope it's better improved. Suggestions, commentary, criticism, and any general feedback are all welcomed.<strong>

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed that.**


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